Female Pioneers in STEM

Funded by Science Foundation Ireland, and supported by the Professional Development for Teachers (PDST), University College Dublin worked with a range of primary and post-primary DEIS (delivering equality of opportunity in schools) schools and their associated feeder and follow-on schools to explore girls’ attitudes towards STEM and possibilities for increasing their engagement with the field. Both the systematic absence of women from the STEM narrative and the absence of prominent female role models in STEM were key motivations for this research. Presenting STEM as a creative process which fosters inquiry and personal connection changes not only the narrative of STEM but the propensity for girls to relate to STEM. Using a philosophy for children (P4G) approach to inquiry, the research team worked with pupils at the upper end of primary and lower end of post-primary schools, adopting a cross-curricular approach, focusing on a range of female STEM pioneers, both historical and contemporary. Below is a sample of the resource bank that was provided to teachers to provide stimulus and guidance for students to conduct their own inquiries.